citizenship in the community nation and the world

8/2/2019 Citizenship in the Community Nation and the World

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Citizenship in the

Community, Nation, andthe WorldLesson Plans

Biases Against Immigration... 2

Losing Citizenship...... 5

First Amendment Rights. 11

City Council.. 17

Civics City. 20

Our City. 23

Our City budget 25

Good Citizens...

28

The Benefits of Citizenship.... 31

Taxes. 33

The Developing Country 36

Other World Consultants 41

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Biases Against Immigration

Scenario:

This exercise helps students understand that they can fit in to American societyeven when they feel that certain groups of people are against immigrants. Ourculture has survived and been enriched by each new wave of immigrants.Students should be aware that these biases have been expressed in eachgeneration, especially when large numbers of immigrants have come to ourcountry.Objectives:Students will:

1. Listen to a speech and make inferences about its meaning.

2. Analyze the issues in the speech.

3. Differentiate between fact and opinion.

4. Write a reflective essay based on their interpretation of the speech.

Activities and Procedures:1. The teacher will read an updated excerpt from a speech written by a

famous American (Benjamin Franklin) without identifying the author.Copies of the speech should be provided to each student.

2. The teacher and the students discuss vocabulary and meaning. What canthey infer from the speech?

3. Students are asked to guess who made the original speech, when it wasmade, and what group of people was being discussed.

4. The teacher leads a discussion based on the following questions:

a. "What are the issues involved in the speech?

b. "What is fact and what is opinion?

c. "Why is the speaker concerned?

The teacher or a student volunteer can write the guesses on the board.

5. Students are told that the speech is one by Benjamin Franklin in which theword "they" refers to early German immigrants. Explain who Benjamin

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Excerpt From a Speech by a Famous American

I agree that these people are a matter of great concern to us. I fear

that one day, through their mistakes or ours, great troubles may occur.

The ones who come here are usually the most stupid of their nation. Few

understand our language, so we cannot communicate with them through

our newspapers. Their priests and religious leaders seem to have little

influence over them. They are not used to freedom and do not know how

to use it properly. It has been reported that young men do not believe they

are true men until they have shown their manhood by beating their

mothers. They do not believe they are truly free unless they also abuse

and insult their teachers.

And now they are coming to our country in great numbers. Few of

their children know English. They bring in much of their own reading from

their homeland and print newspapers in their own language. In some parts

of our state, ads, street signs, and even some legal documents are in their

own language and allowed in courts.

Unless the stream of these people can be turned away from their

country to other countries, they will soon outnumber us so that we will not

be able to save our language or our government. However, I am not in

favor of keeping them out entirely. All that seems

necessary is to distribute them more evenly among us

and set up more schools that teach English. In this

way, we will preserve the true heritage of our country.

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Losing Citizenship

Scenario:

Many people mistakenly believe that American citizenship is permanent.Citizenship can be lost under certain circumstances. This lesson will providestudents with information to determine the circumstances under which a nativeborn or naturalized citizen can lose the right of American citizenship

Objectives:

1. Students will differentiate between a native born and a naturalized citizen.

2. Students will explain how a person can lose American citizenship.

3. Students will apply information to determine which people might loseAmerican citizenship from a list of people and situations.

Activities and Procedures:

1. Ask the students what they know about citizenship. As an example, askthem if the government can legally take away a person's citizenship.(The answer is Yes!). Then ask the students to brainstorm a list ofpossible reasons that the government might remove citizenship.

2. After the brainstorming activity, provide the students with a copy ofSection 349 of the Immigration and Naturalization Act, which lists anumber of offenses punishable by loss of citizenship. Compare the list ofstudent responses with the actual information.

3. Discuss the differences between natural born and naturalized citizens.Are there any differences in their rights? (The President of the UnitedStates must be a natural born citizen).

4. Create a chart of information that shows the voluntary acts that cancause citizenship to be relinquished.

5. Discuss the concept of intention as found in paragraph INA ACT 349(a). In law, the concept of intent does not mean that a person has triedto do something, but merely means that the person can reasonablyforesee the consequences of his actions.

6. Provide the students with a list of people who may have performed anact that would cause citizenship to be lost. Have the students apply thelaw as they have interpreted it to determine which of the people in theexample would lose their American citizenship.

Materials and Resources:

Copy of IMA: ACT 349 Loss of Nationality by native born ornaturalized citizen. (attached to this lesson)

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Short case studies of people who may have committed an act that would beconsidered grounds for losing their citizenship.

Evaluation:

Were students able to hypothesize the possible reasons for losing

citizenship? Where there were differences, were the students able todifferentiate between their guesses and the actual facts?

Were the students able to compare and contrast the rights of naturalborn and naturalized citizens?

Were the students able to create a logically organized chart that showshow citizenship can be lost?

In the case studies, have the students applied the information from INAACT 349 logically to the situations presented?

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Supplemental Information for Losing Citizenship

The following information is available at the Department of HomelandSecurity website. This site should be checked in advance to see if there

have been any changes to the following excerpt:INA: ACT 349 - LOSS OF NATIONALITY BY NATIVE-BORN ORNATURALIZED CITIZEN

Sec. 349. [8 U.S.C. 1481]

(a) A person who is a national of the United States whether by birth ornaturalization, shall lose his nationality by voluntarily performing any of thefollowing acts with the intention of relinquishing United States nationality-

(1) Obtaining naturalization in a foreign state upon his own application

or upon an application filed by a duly authorized agent, after havingattained the age of eighteen years; or

(2) Taking an oath or making an affirmation or other formal declarationof allegiance to a foreign state or a political subdivision thereof, afterhaving attained the age of eighteen years; or

(3) Entering, or serving in, the armed forces of a foreign state if

(A) Such armed forces are engaged in hostilities against the UnitedStates, or

(B) Such persons serve as a commissioned or non-commissionedofficer; or

(4)(A) Accepting, serving in, or performing the duties of any office, post,or employment under the government of a foreign state or a politicalsubdivision thereof, after attaining the age of eighteen years if he has oracquires the nationality of such foreign state; or

(B) Accepting, serving in, or performing the duties of any office, post, oremployment under the government of a foreign state or a politicalsubdivision thereof, after attaining the age of eighteen years for whichoffice, post, or employment an oath, affirmation, or declaration ofallegiance is required; or

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(5) Making a formal renunciation of nationality before a diplomatic orconsular officer of the United States in a foreign state, in such form asmay be prescribed by the Secretary of State; or

(6) Making in the United States a formal written renunciation ofnationality in such form as may be prescribed by, and before such officeras may be designated by, the Attorney General, whenever the UnitedStates shall be in a state of war and the Attorney General shall approvesuch renunciation as not contrary to the interests of national defense; or

(7) Committing any act of treason against, or attempting by force tooverthrow, or bearing arms against, the United States, violating orconspiring to violate any of the provisions of section 2383 of title 18,United States Code, or willfully performing any act in violation of section2385 of title 18, United States Code, or violating section 2384 of said title

by engaging in a conspiracy to overthrow, put down, or to destroy by forcethe Government of the United States, or to levy war against them, if andwhen he is convicted thereof by a court martial or by a court of competent

jurisdiction.

(b) Whenever the loss of United States nationality is put in issue in any actionor proceeding commenced on or after the enactment of this subsection under, orby virtue of, the provisions of this or any other Act, the burden shall be upon theperson or party claiming that such loss occurred, to establish such claim by apreponderance of the evidence. Any person who commits or performs, or whohas committed or performed, any act of expatriation under the provisions of this

or any other Act shall be presumed to have done so voluntarily, but suchpresumption may be rebutted upon a showing, by a preponderance of theevidence, that the act or acts committed or performed were not done voluntarily.

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Case Studies for Losing Citizenship

Case #1

Juan Jimenez, age 22, was born in the United States, but his family is fromArgentina. During the war between Argentina and Great Britain, Juan joined theArgentinean Air Force and served as an enlisted man. Has Juan donesomething that would make him lose his citizenship?

Case #2

Georgina Forewoman, age 35, is an American citizen who speaks fluentRussian. The Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C. advertised for a bilingualadministrative officer. Georgina accepted the job and later traveled to Moscow towork there for three years. Has she done something to make her lose her U.S.

citizenship?

Case #3

Frank Noble, age 28, has always enjoyed learning about his English heritage.His grandparents were from England, but Frank was born in the United States.Last year, Frank had the opportunity to study in England with a specialwork/study scholarship. His scholarship required him to promise to be loyal toEngland because he would be working with sensitive documents. England is afriend of the United States. Has Frank done something to make him lose his

citizenship?

Case #4

Jane Doe, age 43, is a member of a radical political group that believes that theUnited States government is corrupt and should be replaced by a better form ofgovernment. She has taken part in a number of protest marches against thegovernment. Has she done something to make her lose her citizenship?

Case #5

Jack Roe, age 47, is a member of Janes group. He has been working onbuilding some bombs so that he can blow up some government buildings and hehas told people that he wants to kill the president. Has Jack done something tomake him lose his citizenship?

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Case #6

Sally Smith, age 23, was unhappy on April 16 th because she had just paid herincome taxes for the year. She was frustrated and in a letter to her sister shewrote, I dont want to be an Americanwe pay high taxes. Has Sally donesomething to make her lose her citizenship?

Case #7

Bob Jones, Age 43, was an American reporter and he was working in a warzone. The other side captured him. Instead of killing him, the enemy made himtravel with them on patrols and made him take part in raids against Americanunits. If he didnt do what they told him, they were going to kill him. Bob thinksthat he may have killed some Americans when he threw a grenade into a camp.Has Bob done something to make him lose his citizenship?

Case #8Lily Brown, age 31, married a man from Germany and the couple planned to liveoverseas. Lily decided to apply for German citizenship without checking first withthe American government. Has Lily done something to make her lose hercitizenship?

Case #9

Fred Johnson, age 17, was the child of an American father and a French mother.One day, Fred was angry with his father, so he went to the American embassyand formally renounced his American citizenship in writing. Has Fred really losthis citizenship?

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First Amendment Rights

Scenario:

The Bill of Rights outlines the rights of individuals in this country. These rightsinclude the freedom of the press and freedom of speech. While these freedomsexist, they are not absolute. Students need to understand the extent of thesefreedoms. This lesson may be done in segments over a period of time.

Objectives:

Students will:

1. Indicate their initial opinions regarding issues concerning speech and

press.

2. Form inferences and conclusions regarding First Amendment Rightsbased upon scenarios presented.

3. Analyze the meaning of the First Amendment concerning speech andpress, and apply that understanding to evaluating whether specific itemsin the drawing should be protected under the First Amendment.

4. Apply their list of examples of speech to develop general categories oftypes of speech that are not protected under the First Amendment

Activities and Procedures

Part One: Freedom of The Press

1. Prior to the class, ask students to fill out the Student Survey found at theend of this lesson plan. Collect the surveys.

2. Review with the class the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of thepress: "Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech, orof the press." Ask: Does this cover TV news? What other media are

covered? (Movies, documentaries, videos, radio, tabloids, magazines,books, pamphlets, etc.) Ask students what they think a free press reallymeans to them.

3. Have the students identify and list the different freedoms that are found inthis amendment.

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4. Ask students to discuss the freedom of the press. What does thatfreedom mean to a persons privacy? Ask students to think about howfreedom of the press affects public figures like George W. Bush, BillClinton, Martha Steward, or Michael Jackson. (You may wish to talk aboutany famous person who is currently in the news).

5. Have students put themselves in the place of the person(s) discussed inthe news. How would the students feel if they were in the same position?

Part Two: Freedom of Religion

1. Read the following paragraph to the class:

Until the early 1970s, Wisconsin required children to attendschool until they were 16 years old. . Members of the Amishreligion did not want their children to attend school beyond

the 8

th

grade. Instead, the Amish people wanted their childrento stay in their communities where the children would learnthe jobs they would have as adults. When one 15-year-oldAmish girl didnt return to school after finishing the 8 th grade,state officials tried to force her parents to send her to school.Since the Amish do not go to court themselves to sue others,another group stepped in to help the Amish fight for theirreligious rights. What do you think happened?

Ask students to discuss the situation. Should the girl have to attendschool? What do they think that the courts would say?

Note: Sometimes courts will intervene in a case that revolvesaround the freedom of religion, but there needs to be a compellingreason for the government to do that. In the Wisconsin case, theSupreme Court decided that the familys right to Freedom ofReligion meant that the family was entitled to remove their daughterfrom school since it was a religious practice to remove childrenfrom school once they had finished the 8 th grade.

Part Three: Freedom of Speech

1. It was Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes who declared in the 1919 case,Schenk v. the United States, that freedom of speech does not "protect aman from falsely shouting fire in a theatre and causing panic." In thisdecision, the Supreme Court concluded that there are some limitations tofree speech. Have students brainstorm about other situations in whichfreedom of speech is not absolute.

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2. Read this quotation from former President Theodore Roosevelt who spokeagainst President Woodrow Wilsons crackdown on dissent as the UnitedStates entered World War I.

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that

we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic andservile, but is morally treasonable to the American public."

After going over the vocabulary in the quotation, ask students to voicetheir own opinions in writing.

3. Have students find examples in the community, in school, and in print(from newspapers and magazines) of people exercising their First

Amendment rights. Students can create a classroom bulletin board orother display showing the many ways we see First Amendment rights inaction.


First Amendment to the Constitution (with explanations) (attached)First Amendment Freedoms: What Do You Think? (attached)Can You Identify Your Rights? (attached)http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/ (Information on the First Amendment)http://www.holycrosslivonia.org/amish/origin.htm (Information on the Amish)Paper and pencilsChart paper/board and markers

Evaluation:

Students may be evaluated on their ability to explain the First Amendment interms of how it affects their daily lives. Do the students have Freedom ofSpeech? Can they give an example of this freedom? What about Freedom ofthe Press and Freedom of Religion? Can the students explain how thesefreedoms affect their daily lives?

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FIRST AMENDMENT FREEDOMS

WHAT DO YOU THINK?NAME _____________________________ DATE _______________

Directions: Read each statement. If you mainly agree with it, write "Agree" on thespace before the number. If you mainly disagree with it, write "Disagree" on thespace before the number.

_____ 1. There should be limits on our freedom of speech and press.

_____ 2. People should be able to say or print any opinion about the President of

the United States.

_____ 3. The government should have complete control over what is printed inthe newspaper, not the people.

_____ 4. People who strongly oppose a government policy should be able tolegally burn an American flag as a protest.

_____ 5. People should be able to wear protest symbols like peace signs orblack armbands in school and at work.

_____ 6. The government should be able to ban pornographic Websites on theInternet to protect children.

_____ 7. There should be laws to ban people from making insulting statementsabout someones gender, race, or religion.

_____ 8. During a war, the government should be allowed to place morerestrictions on freedom of speech and press.

_____ 9. The government should ban art, music, or TV shows that encourageillegal behavior such as drug use or violence against police.

_____ 10. The government should make it illegal to take photographs of famouspeople without their permission.

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First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of

speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably toassemble, and to petition the Government for a redress ofgrievances.

What do the words of the First Amendment mean?

Freedom of religionThe First Amendment prevents the government from establishing an officialreligion. Citizens have freedom to attend a church, synagogue, temple or

mosque of their choice or not to attend at all. The First Amendment allows usto practice our religion the way we want to.

Freedom of speechThe First Amendment keeps the government from making laws that might stopus from saying what we think. People have the right to criticize the governmentand to share their opinions with others.

Freedom of the pressA free press means we can get information from many different sources. Thegovernment cannot control what is printed in newspapers and books, broadcast

on TV or radio or offered online. Citizens can request time on television torespond to views with which they disagree; they may write letters to newspapereditors and hope those letters will be printed for others to see. They can pass outleaflets that give their opinions. They can have their own Web pages and offertheir opinions to others through the many means made available by the Internet.

Freedom of assemblyCitizens can come together in public and private gatherings. They can joingroups for political, religious, social or recreational purposes. By organizing toaccomplish a common goal, citizens can spread their ideas more effectively.

Right to petition

To petition the government for a redress of grievances means that citizens canask for changes in the government. They can do this by collecting signatures andsending them to their elected representatives; they can write, call or e-mail theirelected representatives; they can support groups that lobby the government.

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City Council

Scenario:

Many people do not have adequate information about governmentalproceedings. Everyone has a right and an obligation to know how thegovernment affects the community. The place to start is with an understandingof local government. In North Carolina, city councils are a common form of localgovernment.

Objectives:

Students will be able to:

1. Determine the types of issues that a City Council may address.

2. Examine the process used to conduct a local city council meeting andrelate the process to other forms of government they may have witnessed.

3. Explain the effects of a city council meeting on the workplace and thecommunity.

4. Interpret the Sunshine Law through the creation of a poster project.


Introduce the idea of local government by asking some of the followingquestions:

1. Does anyone know how decisions are made in our local area?

2. Who is involved in the decision-making?

3. Have you ever had to ask for a decision from a city or county official?

4. Has anyone ever attended a city council meeting or countycommissioners meeting?

5. Has anyone ever attended a school board meeting?

6. What is a board or a commission? How do they operate?

7. What is parliamentary procedure? (Roberts Rules of Order)

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Activity #1

1. Get a copy of the agenda for a local city council meeting and tape themeeting. In many communities, the city council meeting will be televisedon the Community Channel of the local cable television company.

2. Give the students a copy of the agenda of the meeting and have themtake notes on the different items as they watch the tape. Ask students tonotice the process of the meeting and what is being discussed.Encourage students to write down some of the items discussed orinformation that may impact them, their community, or businesses in thearea.

3. After watching the tape, discuss the agenda of the meeting and theprocess followed. Have the class discuss what they observed from theproceedings. Identify the major issues discussed and their outcomes.

Have students evaluate how these outcomes could affect their owncommunity and the businesses in their area. Write down the studentsideas. Discussion guidelines include the following questions:

a. What types of things did you see?

b. Why was a certain protocol followed?

c. What types of problems were discussed?

d. Were decisions made? Why or why not?

e. How could the outcome of this meeting impact you personally?

4. Discuss the importance of understanding local government and its impacton communities and businesses. Have the students identify and discussconcerns that they would like to bring before the city council and why.

Activity #2

Have students attend a City Council meeting as an enrichment assignment. Askstudents to get a copy of the agenda for the meeting that they plan to attend.Often the agenda is published in the local newspaper a few days prior to themeeting.

Review the local newspaper for articles regarding the meeting or outcomesresulting from the meeting. Have students compare and contrast their notes fromthe meeting with what the newspaper has reported.

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Activity #3

Local and state boards must be open in their meetings. They must adhere to theSunshine Law. This means that the citizens and the community at large have aright to know what their elected officials are discussing and what decisions are

being made.

1. Ask students to discuss why it is important for these types of meetings tobe open to the public? What might happen if closed-door meetings wereallowed?

2. Assign a research project to the students. They should look on theInternet to find out about the general provisions of the Sunshine Law?Why is it called the Sunshine Law? What are the main requirements fora governmental agency to follow? Students should create a poster thatdemonstrates their understanding of the Sunshine Law.


Newspapers Paper and pencils Television/VCR Video of City Council Meeting

Evaluation:

To determine if students have learned about the function of City Council, ask

them what types of concerns they might bring up at a council meeting. Whywould they bring up that concern? Would that be an appropriate concern for CityCouncil? What type of outcome would you want?

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Civics City

Scenario: Students need to understand how their towns government is animportant part of their everyday existence. Students need to see how they have

influence.

Purpose: This lesson will help students visualize their citys government as animportant part of their daily lives and will show the students how they caninfluence the community.

Objectives:

1. Students will define the term "citizenship" and be encouraged to become aproductive citizen by participating in community service.

2. Students will identify characteristics of a good citizen and learn howcommunity service can benefit their town.

3. Students will recognize the need for rules and government.


Students will work together to create a bulletin board entitled "Civics City."The lesson may be introduced by talking about the spirit of volunteerism and thevalue that Americans place on volunteer work.

1. Students will design houses (simple outline) or the instructor will providea pattern of a house to be used by each student.

2. Students will decorate their houses using symbols that represent theircultures, ideas, dreams, and families. The students need to be able toexplain their decorations orally or in writing. This part of the activityshould not take too much time. Students may wish to decorate theirhouses at home.

3. Students will label their houses with their names and any otherinformation that they feel is important to understanding their house.

4. At the bottom of their houses, they will write their own "Good Community

Member Promise" explaining a way that they, as students, plan to giveback to the community through volunteerism.

Examples of community service activities will be given in class and mightinclude:

Cleaning up the neighborhood playground to make it safer for their children.

Expanding household recycling to save money and protect the environment.

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Volunteering to pack holiday food baskets at the local food bank.

5. Students should conduct some basic research about their area ofcommunity service. For example, if they plan to pack holiday foodbaskets, students could find out how many families have benefited fromthe local food bank programs. Students will demonstrate their

understanding of community needs by participating in a communityproject that will reinforce the students' knowledge about their chosenarea of civics responsibility (recycling, visiting the elderly, cleaning up apark).

6. As the students complete their Good Community Member Promises,their houses should be added to the bulletin board. Student volunteersmay choose to add streets and other buildings to the bulletin board toround out the concept of community.


Bulletin BoardPaper (Construction paper if available)Pencils/PensMaterials for decorating the houses that the students have drawnmarkers,colored pencils, (crayons may be considered childish by some students and arenot recommended unless the instructor is certain that the students will notconsider this a childrens activity).Other useful materials are: Newspapers, brochures from Civic or Non-profitorganizations, the Internet, and any place where volunteer opportunities arelisted.

Evaluation:

Students should be asked to assess themselves and evaluate if they are bettercitizens because of their community service work. Does participation incommunity service help students feel more a part of the community? They alsocould evaluate if they have lived up to their original Good Community MemberPromise on the bulletin board. The following criteria would also provide a broadoverview and evaluation of the project.

Excellent: Student participated in creating the bulletin board. He or she

contributed good ideas and carried out classroom directions. The student metdeadlines, worked cooperatively, helped others, and readily suggested ideas.

Good: The student participated in creating the bulletin board. He or shecontributed ideas and carried out most classroom directions. The student soughtinformation about participation in community service and government, althoughhe or she may have had to seek help. He or she shared this information withothers.

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Fair: The student participated in creating the bulletin board although his or herideas were not original. He or she contributed ideas and carried out mostclassroom directions. He or she sought information about participation incommunity service and government, although he or she needed continual helpand supervision.

Poor: The student may not have participated in creating the bulletin board. Heor she didn't contribute ideas, and did not carry out classroom directions. Thestudent sought information about participation in community service andgovernment only with constant supervision and urging. The student did notcomplete all required work.

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Our City

Scenario:

Eventually students will be faced with many choices, including which career topursue, where to live, and what schools their children should attend. Thegeography of a city, its government, and the available services may not seemimportant now, but these will be very important issues as adults. This lessonplaces students in the future and allows them to choose where to live byexamining the city's government, services, and location.

Objectives:

1. Students will use technology skills to create a brochure, read maps and do

research using various sources.

2. Students will improve math skills by estimating, measuring, mapping, etc.

3. Students practice creative writing.

4. Students will improve their understanding of city government, services andsize and location.


1. Divide the students into groups of three to four. Ask each group toestablish a list of their criteria for a desirable city in which to live. The listsshould have at least five characteristics.

2. Write the names of various cities on slips of paper and have studentsselect one at random. Have the students locate the city on a map of theUnited States. Ask students about that town or area of the country. Dothey know anything about it? Would they like to live there?

3. Have students compare their list of criteria for a desirable city to the city

that they have selected. Students should discuss the kinds of things thatare usually considered: when moving to a new community: educationalchoices, size of city, availability of work, available real estate, etc.

4. Students will compare the city where they are living to their chosed city.They will make recommendations about which would be a better move forsomeone.

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5. Students should prepare a brochure to advertise the city they have chosenas betterthe new city or the city where they live.

6. Look at the basic information about the cities. Have students create achart and list several city characteristics so that information can be

compared easily. Students can gather information on physical features ofthe town(s), employment opportunities, available and affordable realestate, climate, economic information, population and size. Students mayfind other variables that they would like to compare. Allow students toresearch using Internet links, newspapers, television, travel agencies, theChamber of Commerce and other brochures. Internet search engines willalso provide good links to city government Web sites, online realtyshowcases, weather data and more.


1. Computers with Internet access

2. A map of the U.S. showing major cities

3. Thumbtacks and a blindfold

4. Resources for researching cities (this could include almanacs,newspapers, magazines, travel brochures, Web sites, etc.)

5. Optional: a software program for creating brochures or markers andconstruction paper for creating brochures without software.

Evaluation:

Excellent: All parts of the project were completed on time and were aboveaverage in design. Students found and used appropriate Web sites andinformation from other media. Information in student brochures, comparisoncharts and written final analysis was organized clearly and persuasively.

Good:: All parts of the project were completed on time and were aboveaverage in design. Students used only the Web sites suggested by the teacher.The brochure and written analysis presented clear opinions, but without muchsupporting detail.

Average: All parts of the project were completed on time and were average indesign. Students did not use all information available.

Below Average: Student group did not complete all parts of the project.

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Our City Budget

Scenario:

Students often do not understand the relationship between taxes and the citygovernment. Each city must formulate a budget. That budget is based uponrevenues that the city receives and the expenses that the city has to pay.

Objectives:

Students will:

1. Examine where city tax money goes.

2. Discuss problems within the community and offer possible solutions.

3. Think critically about where city tax money goes and where they believe itshould go.

4. Create a city budget proposal.

5. Design a pie chart showing their proposed budget allocations.

6. Justify their budget orally or in writing.


Preparation:

Find a recent article about the City Council budget. If possible, get a budgetsummary from the City. (The entire budget will be very lengthy).

Step One:

1. Begin by writing, What does the City Council do? on the board and then

lead the class in a brainstorming or mapping activity. Write the responseson the board. Steer the discussion toward the budget and make certainthat students also realize that city council members are elected.

2. Ask the students, What should the city spend its money on? List theresponses on the board.

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Step Two:

1. Ask the students to read the article that you have found about the CityCouncil budget. They should also look at the budget summary.

2. Generate a vocabulary list by writing unfamiliar words on the board.

3. Discuss the following questions:

a. What is the main issue of the article?

b. What are some of the problems that the City Council is having withthe budget?

c. What are they discussing?

d. Are they discussing things similar to the things the class talkedabout earlier (listed on the board)?

e. How are the actual budget and what the students said different?

f. Why are they different?

g. What should the council be talking about?

Step Three:

1. Ask the students to determine which issues are the most important. Theyshould rank the issues in order of importance.

2. Have the students decide how much money should be spent in each area.They should then create a graph showing where they believe the moneyshould go. If possible, you may have students do this on Excel.

Step Four:

1. Have students write a letter to the Mayor to defend their budget.

2. In the letter they should include the 3 most important items in the budget.The letter should answer the following questions:

a. Why do you think these things are important?

b. What problems will they solve?

c. Why should the Mayor support your budget?

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Newspaper article about the City Budget

Copy of the City BudgetBlackboardComputer with Microsoft Excel (optional)

Evaluation:

Learners will express and demonstrate their knowledge of community issues andconcerns. They will relate issues and concerns to the money that a city allocatesto them in its budget. Learners will also demonstrate the use of fractions,decimals, and percents in graphic form. They will express their civic concerns

about the budget in oral and written form.

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Good Citizens

Scenario:

When Americans talk about the rights and responsibilities of citizenship, they arenot just talking about voting, serving on jury duty, and serving in the ArmedForces. The spirit of volunteerism is alive in America. Students from othercountries may not realize how many Americans volunteer in some way.

Objectives:

Students will:

1. Define the concept of a good citizen.

2. Generalize about different people in the community to determine if thosepeople meet the definition of good citizen.

3. Prepare an awards presentation ceremony.

4. Select criteria for award winners.

5. Tell why certain individuals should receive an award.

6. Evaluate list of candidates to determine award winners.

7. Produce an awards ceremony.


Preparation:

The teacher needs to find examples of people in the local community who serveas volunteers. Bring clippings from the local newspaper, newsletters, or otherpublications that tell about volunteers.

First Class

1. Students read the local newspaper to find examples of people in thecommunity who are doing things to help others.

2. Do a brainstorm activity What is a good citizen? Record the studentsanswers for comparison during the evaluation phase of this activity.

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3. Ask students, Why do people volunteer?

4. Make a list of personal characteristics that volunteers seem to share.

5. Ask students to bring in names or people who do volunteer work. These

names do not have to be local celebrities. They can be the names offellow students or people in the community who are not often recognizedfor their contributions.

Second Class

1. Create a Good Citizen award.

a. Determine the criteria for the award.

b. Ask students to create a nomination form.

c. Have students nominate people for the award. Depending uponthe time available, students may wish to make this a real awardsceremony. If so, the students can accept nominations from peopleoutside of the class.

d. Have students form an awards decision committee. The committeemay be selected members of the class, or may include the entireclass.

e. Decide the winner(s) of the Good Citizen award.

Third Class

1. Plan an awards presentation. (Where & WhenWill there berefreshments?)

2. Notify award winners and ensure that they will be present.

3. Invite other classes, instructors, and guests.

4. Prepare Certificates for award winners.

5. Prepare a script for the awards ceremony.

Awards Presentation

Have a student serve as Master of Ceremonies.Ask students to explain why the winners were selected.

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NewspapersCertificates for Good Citizens

Evaluation:

Students should reflect on this experience in writing or in a classroom discussion.How do they define good citizen now? How does this compare to the originalbrainstorming activity?

Students may also be evaluated according to their participation in the activities.What role did each student play in creating the awards presentation ceremony?How involved was each student in the process?

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THE BENEFITS OF CITIZENSHIP

Scenario:

Students are unaware of the benefits of citizenship. They do not know whycitizenship is important or how the life of a citizen differs from the life of a non-citizen. This lesson provides non-citizen students an opportunity to determine if

American citizenship would be beneficial to them. It also provides students anopportunity to examine the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

Objectives:

Students will:

1. Define American citizenship.

2. Summarize the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

3. Analyze the potential benefits of citizenship and, if not citizens, willdetermine if they wish to pursue citizenship as a personal goal.


1. Invite a recent citizen to talk about the process of becoming an Americancitizen. Ask the guest speaker to talk about why he/she chose to becomea citizen. That person will probably talk about how being a citizen of theUnited States means becoming part of this nation, something manypeople value so greatly they will risk their lives for it. The citizen may alsomention the processsometimes frustrating--that it took to become acitizen.

2. Discuss citizenship in its legal sense: the steps in becoming a citizen,taking the citizenship test, talking to recent naturalized citizens in the area.

3. If you have Internet access, students can try the U.S. Bureau ofCitizenship and Immigration Services "Naturalization Self-Test" athttp://uscis.gov/graphics/exec/natz/natztest.asp . If they are unable to dothis in class, perhaps they can do it at home or at the library. Does thetest reflect students' original definitions of "citizenship"? Why or why not?

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Internet AccessGuest Speaker

Evaluation:Students should be able to voice the benefits of American citizenship and if theyare not citizens, they will determine if they wish to become citizens.

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Taxes

Scenario:

You get what you pay for is clich, but it accurately reflects the purpose of theAmerican tax system. When people talk about taxes, they often complain abouthigh tax rates, but do not understand where their tax dollars go. In this lesson,students will be exposed to the federal income tax system so that they can fill outa simple tax form.

*Note: Some students may be concerned about their immigration status and bewary of filing taxes. It is important for students to obtain an ITIN (IndividualTaxpayer Identification Number) and use it to file their taxes even if they donthave a valid social security number. Even if students are paid entirely in cash,

they should still report their earnings and file their income tax return.

Objectives:

Students will:

1. Recognize who has to pay taxes.

2. Identify the various forms of taxes.

3. Determine what records need to be kept for tax purposes.

4. Read a W-2 form.


1. Have the students talk about their experiences paying taxes. Did they paytaxes in their native countries? What types of taxes do they pay here?Why should they pay taxes?

2. Discuss the different types of taxes with students. Have them brainstormall of the different taxes that they pay. Next have them identify where theirtaxes go. What services do they have because they pay taxes?

3. Reproduce copies of the W-2 Form Activity Sheet at the end of thislesson. Help students answer the questions on the activity sheet.

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4. Obtain copies of the 1040EZ Form. This form can be found on theInternet. Using the W-2 Form Activity Sheet, have the students fill out theform. Using a tax table, help the students find the amount of tax for theperson whose W-2 Form they are using.

5. If time allows, create other scenarios for students to allow them to practicefilling out the 1040EZ and the 1040A forms.

Materials and Aids

1. W-2 Form Activity Sheet2. IRS Forms 1040EZ and 1040A3. Tax Table4. Calculators

Evaluation

Discuss what services would not exist if taxes were not collected. Have studentsevaluate whether these services are benefiting their community. Ask thestudents to write one thing that they have learned. Ask them what else theywould like to know.

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Taxes

W-2

FormActivitySheetControlNumber:

0000-0000000 Department of the Treasury InternalRevenue Service OMB No. 0000-00000

Employers IDNumber: 00000

Employees SSN:123-45-6789

Employers name andaddress:

MyWork123 Oak Street

Anytown, NC 00000

Wages, tips, andothercompensation:

30,000

Federal income taxwithheld:

3,200

Social SecurityWages:

30,000

Social SecurityTax withheld:

3,750Employees name and address:Javier Saenz1001 Main Street

Anytown, NC 00000

Medicare wages andtips:

30,000

Medicare taxwithheld:

1,100

Social Security Tips:Advance EICpayment:

Allocated tips:Dependent carebenefits:

State: NC EmployersStateID #000000000

State wages,tips, etc.:

30,000

Stateincometax:

965.00

Nonqualified plans:Local wages, tips,etc.

Local income tax:

1. What was Javiers income last year?

2. How much money was withheld for federal income tax?

3. How much money did Javier pay in Social Security taxes?

4. How much money did Javier pay in Medicare taxes?

5. How much money did Javier pay in state income tax?

6. How much total money did Javier pay in taxes?

7. Where does Javier live?

8. Does he have to pay local income taxes?

Bonus Question: What is the EIC? (See bottom for answer)

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The EIC is the Earned Income Credit. If you earn money over the year and if you have children, youmay be eligible for this credit. Its worth finding out!

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The Developing Country

Scenario:

Nations are faced with numerous options when it comes the distribution of thelimited resources. The nations are faced with events that could lead to thesuccessful development or ruin of their country. In this simulation, students willreceive the opportunity to make decisions about allocating resources and thenconsider how those decisions might impact the development of a country.

Objectives:

Students will:

1. Create a list of characteristics for an imaginary country.

2. Design a flag that represents their country's ideals and beliefs.

3. Illustrate their countrys characteristics in a poster presentation.

4. Discuss the importance of agriculture, industry, infrastructure, education,and various social issues to the development of a country.

5. Work as a team, developing, listening and reasoning skills along the way.

6. Predict potential problems in the countrys development and makedecisions accordingly.

7. Differentiate between the characteristics of successful and unsuccessfulnations.


1. Divide students into teams of 3-5 students each.

2. Have students develop an imaginary country. They need to select a name,a flag, and a form of government. Do not tell the students anything furtherat this point.

3. Have each group design a poster for their imaginary country. The groupsshould present these posters to the class and answer questions aboutthem.

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4. After the poster presentations, give each group the activity sheet at the endof this lesson. The students must then create a budget for their countrybased upon the information in the activity sheet entitled Planning a Budgetfor your Newly Wealthy Country.

5. Once the budget has been created, ask the students to explain theirreasons for allocating money to the various areas. Have any of the groupsadded any new categories? Do the amounts allocated make senseaccording to the characteristics of the countries? As the groups work,remind them to match funding with needs.

6. Have students prepare a chart showing their budget allocations for theirimaginary country. The groups will explain their charts to the rest of theclass.


Budget (Activity Sheet)Poster PaperMarkers/colored pencilsPaper tacksPencilsPaper

Evaluation:

At the end of the simulation, the students should discuss what the simulation was

about and what they learned from it. How does the simulation relate to the realworld? Can the students apply the simulation to their own lives? In moreadvanced classes, students should write a few paragraphs discussing theirreasons for the budgets that they have created.

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Planning a Budget for Your Newly Wealthy Country

Your Situation

Your group is composed of people with degrees ineconomics and finance. You have formed aconsulting firm and your first client hasapproached you for advice. Your firm will receivea large fee and a great deal of prestige if you areable to assist your new client.

Who is your new client?

Your client is the government of the country whose flag and name you have justdeveloped. It is an underdeveloped country in Asia. It has a population of2,500,000 people and an area of 25,000 square miles.

For many years, the world has ignored this poor, illiterate country. The situationhas recently changed because oil was discovered in your country and oilrevenues are projected to be 50 billion dollars for the next year and for each yearafter that for the next ten years.

The government has asked your firm to decide how much money should be

budgeted for each of the programs it wants to undertake. There is a list ofproposed programs, but your firm might think of some programs that thegovernment has forgotten.

Your Mission

Decide what percentage of the budget should be given to each of theseprograms.

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Program 1: Military Defense

Your country has an army of just 5,000 men. There are no modern weapons todefend your country from your greedy neighbors who might want to take overyour oil fields.

Program 2: Communications

Only the capital city has telephone service. Fewer than 50,000 homes havetelephones. There is no cellular service and getting on the Internet is virtuallyimpossible. There are no television stations in your country. A few wealthypeople who have traveled out of the country have satellite dishes and can pick upprograms, but over 98% of the public has never seen television.

Program 3: Education

Your country has a literacy rate of only 11%. Of the 11% who can read, morethan half have only finished the equivalent of sixth grade. Less than 1% of the

population has a college degree. There are no universities in your country andthe only high schools are in the capital.

Program 4: Transportation

Your country has one major airport and two smaller airports. There is onerailroad which links both sides of the country, but the tracks are a different gaugefrom the neighboring countries. If you want to travel out of the country by rail,you have to get off the train near the border and walk about one mile before youget to the train station at the neighboring country. Most roads are unpaved.

Program 5: Utilities

Electricity is virtually non-existent in the smaller cities and in the rural areas. Theonly places with electricity in these areas are those that have portablegenerators. Outside of the capital, only the wealthy people and some hospitalshave refrigerators, stoves, or electric lights. Even in the capital, electricity is notalways available.

Program 6: Agriculture

Your countrys people suffer from malnutrition. Rice is the main food eaten, butdue to a drought, the production of rice is very low this year. (Rice needs a greatdeal of water to grow). Additionally, chickens and other farm animals have diedfrom the lack of water. Your people dont understand the basics of a balanceddiet. Because of the drought, they are no longer self-sufficient. They need foodfrom other countries. The country can afford to pay for the food, but getting it tothe people and helping them understand their nutritional needs are problems.

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Problem 7: Tourism

Your country is in a beautiful area of Asia. Despite the drought, there are stillmany interesting things to attract tourists. Foreign investment could come toyour country if enough tourists are attracted to it. However, there is only onehotel in the capital and it is not very attractive. There are few restaurants.

Tourism would have to be developed because there is no tourist industry now.

Problem 8: Medical Services

There is only one doctor for every 50,000 people and the hospital in the capitalcity is not very modern. At least the hospital in the capital is better than the so-called hospital in the rest of the country.

Problem 9: Recreation and Arts

Your countrys citizens have little opportunity to escape the dreariness of theireveryday lives. There are no theaters or sports arenas. There are only threemovie theaters in the capital and they never show modern releases. Children do

not learn about the arts in school because most children do not attend school.The country lacks stimulating activities for its citizens.

Problem 10: Industry

Your countrys oil will not last forever. Experts believe that the oil supply will dryup within 35 years. Currently there is no industry on which to base its futureeconomy. If industry were attracted to your country, the citizens could learn newskills and get jobs. They would have a future for their country once the oil runsout.

Problem 11: Administration

With only 18,000 people having college degrees, your country really needs tohire outsiders to administer its affairs. The current leader does not understandeconomics very well, although he is interested in protecting his people andseeing them prosper.

Problem 12: Technology

The only computers in your country are those brought in by visitors or those thatthe very wealthiest people have. Only the president and a few chosen peoplehave email since Internet access is only possible through an expensive satellitelink system. All record keeping, tax collecting, budgeting and other activities that

the United States government does by computer is done manually in yourcountry. This takes time and is not always accurate.

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Other World Consultants

Scenario:

Sometimes the study of government and the Constitution can be boring. Thisactivity allows students to learn about the American Constitution through a role-play exercise in which the students take the part of consultants to aliens fromanother world.

Objectives:

Students will:

1. Evaluate the positive and negative aspects of different forms ofgovernment.

2. Create a plan for an imaginary government based upon the best aspectsof known governments.

3. Present a model for a new government to imaginary clients (peers &instructor).


1. Provide each student with a copy of the Student Information Sheet.

2. Divide the class into groups of three to five students and ask each groupto take on the role of a consulting firm.

3. Have the students decide on a name for their consulting firm.

4. Have the students decide on values that are important for a society andthen ask them to create a name for a new society based on those values.

5. Provide information about different forms of government and ask thestudents to discuss how the leaders are chosen.

6. Provide information about the elements of a constitution. Ask students tooutline a basic constitution for a new society.

7. Have students prepare a presentation for the rest of the class. Their finalproduct will be an oral presentation in which they will teach about theirnation's government. The oral presentation must be accompanied by avisual: a map, flag, or symbol.

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Information Sheet (Other World Consultants)Information Sheet (Forms of Government)Poster Paper for presentations

Markers

Evaluation:

You can evaluate students presentations using the following three-point rubric:

Three points: provides clear description of new constitution and form ofgovernment; identifies and provides details about similarities and differences;

Two points: provides basic description of new constitution and form of

government; identifies and provides details about similarities and differences;

One point: lacks basic description of new constitution and form of government;does not identify and provide details about similarities and differences.

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Other World Consultants

Student Information Sheet

You and a few of your friends have been hired by a group of space aliens whoadmire this planet, and the United States in particular. They have taken you totheir friendly planet so that you can help them organize their society. At themoment, their government is in chaos and they need your assistance. Theyreally want to have a good government, but arent sure how to begin. They valueyour experience and have asked you to pick the best parts of all of the Earthgovernments to create a unique government for their world.

Here are your tasks:

1. Decide which values are important for a society to have and then create aname for this world that will reflect its values.

2. Decide what type of leader the government will have.

a. Will there be one leader or more than one leader?

b. What will the leaders title be?

c. How will the leader be chosen?

3. Write a constitution for the government.

a. How will the government be organized?

b. Who will make the laws?

c. What will happen to people if they break the laws?

4. What rights will the people have? List at least 5 rights and tell why theyare important.

5. Present your constitution to the space aliens (your teacher may be one ofthem) and your fellow classmates. Tell why you think your constitution willwork.

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Forms of Government

Autocracy - The power and authority to rule are in the hands of a singleindividual. Sovereignty is in the hands of one - the king, queen,

emperor, tsar, dictator, etc.

Absolute Monarchy

1. A king, queen, emperor, or tsar exercises the supreme power ofgovernment.

2. Power is usually inherited.3. The ruler has complete and unlimited power to rule.

Examples:China during the Dynastic period (until 1911)

Russia until the Communist Revolution, 1917France until the French Revolution, 1789Saudi Arabia

Totalitarian Dictatorship

1. A leader exercises authoritarian power over every aspect of human affairs.2. Power is usually not inherited, but it is acquired by force and often

reinforced by propaganda.3. Suppression of any opposition is often a characteristic of this type of

government.

Examples:Germany under HitlerItaly under MussoliniSoviet Union under Stalin

Oligarchy - A small group holds the power to govern. The power is derivedfrom wealth, military power, social position, education, or somecombination of these. Sovereignty is in the hands of a few.

Aristocracy

1. Power is derived from virtue, age and experience, wisdom and education,or religious leadership.

Examples:Ancient Sparta under the rule of the Dorians.Ancient Rome under the rule of the Patricians.

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Military Junta

2. Power is consolidated under military force.3. A military junta sometimes leads to a totalitarian dictatorship.

Examples:Haiti after the coup of AristideChile under PinochetGreece under PapadopoulosSudan

Communist Totalitarianism

1. A small group of government leaders claim to derive power from thepeople.

2. This small group adopts the Communism as their form of economics.

3. Often these governments have seemingly democratic institutions such asassemblies and elections.4. All opposition is suppressed.5. Total control over all aspects of human affairs is exercised and reinforced

by propaganda.Examples:The former Soviet UnionChinaCubaLaos

Democracy - A government in which the people hold the power to rule, eitherdirectly or through elected officials, i.e., "rule by the ruled." Sovereigntyis in the hands of the people.

Direct Democracy

1. Also called a pure democracy.2. The will of the people is translated into public policy (law) directly by the

people themselves in mass meetings.3. All citizens have the chance to participate.

Examples:1. Direct democracy does not exist in its pure form as any nation's

government today.2. Town meetings in the U.S. are a form of pure democracy.

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Representative Democracy

1. The people elect representatives and give them the power to govern.2. Agents of the people are responsible for carrying out the will of the people.3. Depending on the country, elections are either called when needed or at

regularly scheduled intervals.

Examples:JapanJamaicaTaiwanNew ZealandPakistan

Presidential Democracy

1. President is elected by the people.2. Legislature is elected by the people.3. Laws are enacted by legislature and enforced by the president.

Example:The United States

Parliamentary Democracy

1. Prime Minister is elected by the legislature2. Legislature is elected by the people.

3. Laws are enacted by the elected representatives.

Examples:FranceIndiaCanada

Constitutional Monarchy

1. The monarch shares governmental power with elected legislatures orserves as ceremonial leader of government.

2. A constitution, usually written, exists as the rule of law in the state.

Examples:Great BritainJordanThailandTongaNorway

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Other Forms of Government

Centralism - governmental structure in which administration and power areconcentrated in a central institution or group

Despotism - autocratic rule; the ruler maintains absolute power. Government inwhich the dictator or tyrant may possess oppressive power.

Fascism - one-party system of government with individuals subjected to thecontrol of the state often by secret police, military police, censorship andgovernment control of finance, industry, and commerce.

Federalism - union of several states under a central government, with individualstates retaining specific powers under the central government.

Feudalism - a Medieval system in which vassals received land holdings in

exchange for military or other service and homage to their lords.

Matriarchy - society ruled by a woman, with descent and succession beingtraced through the female's line.

Patriarchy - rule of a group by the father or male heir.

Republicanism - a representative democracy. Elected officials exercise powervested in them by sovereign citizens.

Theocracy - government in which the clergy rules or in which a god is the civil

ruler.

Totalitarianism - system in which a highly centralized government is controlledexclusively by one party and maintained by political suppression. Other politicalparties are not tolerated or recognized.

citizenship in the community nation and the world

Documents